BJ’s ‘Stocks Up’ on Back-to-School Causes

BJ’s ‘Stocks Up’ on Back-to-School Causes

BJ's Wholesale Club is once again partnering with General Mills and Kellogg Co. on cause campaigns for back-to-school season.

For the fourth year, the warehouse club is leveraging General Mills’ "Box Tops for Education" cause platform to stock eligible SKUs in exclusive packaging delivering eight Box Tops credits. Shoppers can earn an additional 50 credits (valued at $5) for every two participating products purchased in a single transaction at BJ’s stores from July 1 to Sept. 30. This year, participants submit a picture of their receipt via text message to receive a digital code redeemable for 50 bonus Box Tops versus last year’s method of uploading receipts via the Box Tops Bonus mobile application. In addition to various Mills SKUs, select items from brands including Kimberly-Clark’s Kleenex, RB’s Lysol and SC Johnson’s Ziploc also qualify.

In stores, Mills deployed account-specific pallet displays to merchandise eight-credit packages of Honey Nut Cheerios and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Custom pallet wraps invited shoppers to “stock up & save on back to school” and “win, win.” Kraft Heinz’s Kraft macaroni and cheese was also spotted stocked on the custom pallets, though it’s not a participating brand.

Other support included a dedicated microsite (bjsboxtops.com) administered by Southfield, MI-based HelloWorld. Multiple email blasts from the retailer plugged the offer and select participating items. For example, an Aug. 25 email blast touting breakfast items highlighted two participating SKUs from Mills’ Pillsbury and linked to a $2 add-to-card coupon, while an Aug. 20 “brain food for your little student” email blast plugged the Box Tops offer via display ads linking to the microsite.

Kellogg joined the back-to-school party at BJ’s for the third year by pledging one Scholastic book (up to 20,000) to schools in the warehouse club’s East Coast communities for every purchase of participating Kellogg’s product made between May 24 and Sept. 30. Kellogg's Family Rewards members upload their qualifying receipt to an account-specific “Feeding Reading” web page (feedingreading.com/bjs) to earn a book (up to 10) that they can keep or donate. Multiple email ads plugged the offer while linking to a June 28 “Fuel Minds and Bodies for the School Year and Beyond” blog post within the club’s member journal BJ’s Stocked. Account-specific pallet displays depicting the same “win, win” back-to-school message as the aforementioned General Mills displays stocked exclusive packages of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes depicting the “1 box = 1 free Scholastic book” logog also found on other participating product packages.

The manufacturer is also running a “Raising Readers” sweepstakes through Oct. 30 awarding five elementary schools a free Scholastic book fair with 500 free book certificates (valued at $7) per event. Schools are nominated on a promotional web page (scholastic.com/bookfairsweeps). Display ads within BJ’s Stocked plugged the sweeps.

BJ’s is additionally selecting 250 of its members to host sponsored “back-to-school meal prep party” events with their friends on Sept. 8. The retailer is supplying each host with a “party pack” comprising various supplies and gifts such as a $100 BJ’s gift card, a chicken parmesan casserole recipe, a BJ’s apron, a set of cooking utensils and special membership offer postcards. Hosts are instructed to share pictures on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtags #BJsWholesaleParty and #Sponsored. Influencer marketing platform Ripple Street handles.